Even if school didn’t start until 9 a.m., students would probably still fall asleep in first period, added junior Lauren Abel.

“It’s about how long you’ve been up,” the 16-year-old said. “If you wake up at noon, you’re not awake until two.”

Not everyone sees it that way, though.

Seniors Tristan Allen and Patton Markland would welcome a change in start times.

“In the morning I’m always really tired,” Allen said.

“An extra hour or two would be awesome,” Markland finished.

Parents seem just as divided on the issue.

Laura Wooley’s son is a freshman at Choctawhatchee High School. The current start time allows her to get her son up in the morning and drop him off on her way to work.

“For us, it works out fairly good,” Wooley said.

If it changes, she worries her teenage son might oversleep frequently or not be able to get up in the mornings when he has a job down the road.

Parent Lamar Conerly is on the other side of the issue. He has listened to Keefe through the years, read the research and watched his own children enough to conclude the change is necessary.

“Everybody knows younger kids get up early,” the father of two said.

In fact, when his youngest son was in elementary school he made him stay in bed until 6 a.m. These days, that same child, who is fast approaching his teenage years, struggles to get up at 5:30 a.m. for a 7:15 start.

“We try to have him go to sleep at 8:45 or 9, but he just doesn’t go to sleep,” Conerly said.

Conerly realizes parents are worried about inconvenience, but parenting is all about making sure childrenget what they need.

“There should be a sentiment of just listening, and if you reject it, it should be for good cause,” Conerly said.

Even if school didn’t start until 9 a.m., students would probably still fall asleep in first period, added junior Lauren Abel.

“It’s about how long you’ve been up,” the 16-year-old said. “If you wake up at noon, you’re not awake until two.”

Not everyone sees it that way, though.

Seniors Tristan Allen and Patton Markland would welcome a change in start times.

“In the morning I’m always really tired,” Allen said.

“An extra hour or two would be awesome,” Markland finished.

Parents seem just as divided on the issue.

Laura Wooley’s son is a freshman at Choctawhatchee High School. The current start time allows her to get her son up in the morning and drop him off on her way to work.

“For us, it works out fairly good,” Wooley said.

If it changes, she worries her teenage son might oversleep frequently or not be able to get up in the mornings when he has a job down the road.

Parent Lamar Conerly is on the other side of the issue. He has listened to Keefe through the years, read the research and watched his own children enough to conclude the change is necessary.

“Everybody knows younger kids get up early,” the father of two said.

In fact, when his youngest son was in elementary school he made him stay in bed until 6 a.m. These days, that same child, who is fast approaching his teenage years, struggles to get up at 5:30 a.m. for a 7:15 start.

“We try to have him go to sleep at 8:45 or 9, but he just doesn’t go to sleep,” Conerly said.

Conerly realizes parents are worried about inconvenience, but parenting is all about making sure childrenget what they need.

“There should be a sentiment of just listening, and if you reject it, it should be for good cause,” Conerly said.